Apparatus for trimming and cutting predetermined lengths of spaghetti



April 4, 1961 E. H. L. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS PoR TRTMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTx-xs oF SPAGHETTI Filed May 16, 1957 19 sheets-sheet 1 ATTYS.

E. H. L. JOHANNES 2,977,902 APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 4, 1961 Filed Ma-y 16, 1957 n kwh.

INVENTOF ERICH H.| JOHANNES ATTYS.

NYA-- April 4, 1961 E. H'. L. JOHANNES APPARATUS FO 2,977,902 R TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS oF SPAGHETTI Filed May 1e, 1957 19 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 4, l961 E. H. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS 0F SPAGHETTI Filed May 16, 1957 19 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR HLJOHANNES BY wm AT1-YS.

April 4,1961 E. H. L. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRTMMTNG AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS oF SPAGHETTI |NvEN1'oR: ERICH H. L. JOHANNES ATTYS.

Apri14, 1961 Filed May 16, 1957 E. H. L. JOHANNES APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI 19 Sheets-Sheet 6 l INVENTOR: ERICH H. L. JOHANNES BY ,66m

ATTYS.

April 4, 1961 E. H. L. JOHANNES APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF' SPAGHETTI 19 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed May 16, 1957 April 4, 1951 E. H. L.. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI Filed May 16, 1957 19 Sheets-Sheet 8 NWN April 4, 1961 E. H. l.. .JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMTNED LENGTHs oF SPAGHETTI Filed May 16. 1957 19 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR: ERICH H,| JOHANNES April 4, 1961 H L, JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI 19 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed May 16, 1957 y www Pbjliil, DI W If /0 |NvENToR ERICH H.L.JOHANNES www1/AM ATTYS.

April 4, 1961 E. H. L. JOHANNES 2,977,902 APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI 19 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed May 16, 1957 INVENTOW ERICH H. I .JOHANNES APrll 4, 1951 E. H. l.. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMTNG AND CUTTING PREDETERMNED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI Filed May 16, 1957 19 Sheets-Sheet 12 mvENToR'. ERICH H.L.JOHANNES AT1-Ys.

APl'll 4, 1961 E. H. L. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI Filed May 16, 1957 19 Sheets-Sheet 15 mvENroR: CH H. L. JOHANNES ATTYs.

April 4 1961 E. H. l.. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI Filed May 16, 1957 19 Sheets-Sheet 14 INT/Enron: ERICH H.| JOHANNES BY #www1/4 ATTYS.

April 4, 1961 E. H. L. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRTMMTNG AND CUTTING PREDETERMTNED LENGTHS oF SPAGHETTI 19 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed May 16, 1957 INVENTORY ERICH H. L. JOHANNES ATTYS A131514, 1961 E H L. JoHANNL-:s 2,977,902

APPARATU FR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI 19 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed May 16; 1957 IN \ENTORZ ERICH H. L, JOHANNES @www ATTYS.

April 4, 1961 E, H JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI Flled May 16, 1957 19 Sheets-Sheet 1'7 CYCLE TIME 6.86 SEC.

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April 4, 1951 E. I-I. I.. JOHANNES 2,977,902

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPAGHETTI Filed May 16' 1957 19 sheets-sheet 18 l im, 54

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ERICH H.L.JOHANNES ATT YS.

APPARATUS FOR TRIMMI'NG AND CUTTING PREDETERMINED LENGTHS OF SPA- GHETTI Erich H. L. Johannes, Audubon, NJ., ass'gnor to Campbell Soup Company, Camden, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 16, 1957, ser. No. 659,638

s claims. (ci. 1in- 69) This invention relates to spaghetti forming and canning machines and more particularly to a machine adapted to form spaghetti dough into strands of spaghetti of predetermined length and number, to handle the strand lengths of spaghetti in progressV through spaghetti treating sections of Vthe machine, such as blanching and cooling sections, to deliver the treated spaghetti into cans, preferably containing sauce, and to deliver the filled cans away from the machine for-subsequent application of lids to the cans.

The machine embodied in the present disclosure includes a number of important, accurately timed cooperating mechanisms or units whereby continuous automatic operation of the machine is effected. These will now be generally described;

The dough is extrudedv through a die unit to form strands of spaghetti and then a knife mechanism or unit trims off the uneven ends ofthe strands and the trimmings drop through chutes to a conveyor for conveying them away. Next the extruded trimmed lengths' are cut oi and then drop into a basket carried by an elevator unit and the basketV is then transferred by a transfer unit to a blanching unit where it is conveyed step by step along the length of the blanching unit to a second transfer unit which transfers the basket of blanched spaghetti to a cooling unit. The` basket is then conveyed step by Vstep along the length of the cooling unit to a third transfer unit which transfers the baskets of cooled spaghetti to a turret unit. The turret of the turret unit is rotated in step by step movement and the baskets are inverted by the turret so that their contents are emptied into waiting cans located below the turret. These cans before being positioned in readiness to receive the spaghetti first receive sauce from a pre-saucer unit and after receiving the spaghetti they are conveyed away from the machine to an adjacent station for subsequent application of lids to the cans.

Each basket is divided into` a plurality of compartments crosswise of the machine and the die is arranged to extrude the spaghetti in spaced groups, one for each compartment of the basket. The cans at the turret are positionedV in spaced relation, crosswise of the machine, corresponding to the spacing of the basket compartments so that the contents of each compartment is delivered into a registering can.

In the operation of the machine one basket afterthe other is brought into position by the elevator unit to receive its charge of spaghetti and then they pass through the above cycle of operations one after the other to finally deliver the spaghetti into the pre-sauced cans which are successively brought into registering position with the successive baskets. The empty baskets are delivered from the turret -onto a return conveyor which delivers them to the elevator unit at the spaghetti loading end of the machine. The elevator unit'picks up the returning baskets and positions them one after the other into spaghetti receiving position and then the above cycle is repeated in continuous operation.

Z,97'i,902 Patented Apr. 4, 1596i Due to the `automatic nature of the machine and because of the necessary timing of the units various switches and controls are employed, as will be apparent hereinafter. A primary object of the invention is the provision of a spaghetti machine of the above character in which spaghetti is formed in groups of strands, cut off into strands of predetermined length, conveyed along for blanching and cooling treatment, and deposited in cans after treatment, all in continuous operation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a spaghetti machine of the character described employing knife mechanisms for evenly trimming strands of spaghetti being continuously extruded through dies and for cutting the trimmed strands into predetermined lengths for delivery into cans. A further object of the invention is the provision of elevator mechanisms for elevating baskets, one after the other, into position for receiving a predetermined quantity of spaghetti and transfer mechanisms for transferring the baskets one after the other to a spaghetti treating unit.

A further object of the invention is the provision of mechanisms for imparting step by step movement to the baskets containing spaghetti along the length of a spaghetti treating unit for effective treatment of the spaghetti.

A further object of the invention is the provision of -a spaghetti machine of the character described employing baskets containing measured quantities of spaghetti, a spaghetti blanching unit, a spaghetti cooling unit, means for advancing the baskets through the blanching unit in step by step movement, means for transferring the baskets from the blancing unit to the cooling unit and means for advancing the baskets through the cooling unit in a step by step movement.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a spaghetti machine of the character described employing a turret for receiving baskets containing measured quantities of spaghetti which is adapted to invert the baskets to empty their contents into registering cans.

A furtherl object of the invention is the provision of a spaghetti machine of the character described employing a plurality of basket transfer units and a common drive mechanism for the transfer unit.

A further object of the invention resides in the employment of hydromotor driven ratchet mechanisms for actuating the basket elevator in step by step movement.

Other objects of the invention have to do with the employment of hydromotor operation of the trim knife, the cut otf knife, the elevator and the linear transfer for moving baskets away from the elevator.

A further object of the invention is to provide suitable controls for the various units of a machine of the character described.

A further object of the invention is to provide eiective walking beam mechanism for advancing the baskets step by step along the spaghetti treating units of the machine.

A furthe-r object of the invention is the provision in a machine of the character described of `a basket return conveyor employing means for self-righting the baskets for proper return travel to the basket elevator.

Further objects will be apparent from the specication and drawings wherein:

Figures la and lb taken together, illustrate a longitudinal vertical section of themachine, the section being taken substantially as indicated by the line 1--1 of Figure 2; V

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure la land of a portion of Figure 1b, part of the view being broken away to condense the gure, and the View being taken as indicated by the line 2--2 of lFigure la; 

